Brentford 3-0 Aston Villa: Match Report

31 January 2017 10:34

Brentford cruised to their first-ever win over Aston Villa with a comprehensive 3-0 rout of Steve Bruce's Championship big spenders.

Lasse Vibe - with goals either side of a Nico Yennaris strike - showed there are goals after Villa-bound Scott Hogan for the Bees.

Danish striker Vibe took just 25 minutes to break the deadlock when he latched onto a superb three-man move to round Villa goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and fire home.

Yennaris made it two just before the break when he ghosted in unmarked at the far post to bundle home Jota's deep right-wing cross.

And Vibe sealed the win just after the hour mark when he raced onto a slide-rule Josh McEachran through-ball to fire past the flat-footed Johnstone to make it three.

Villa's new signings Conor Hourihane and Birkir Bjarnason started brightly enough but after squandering two or three clear chances early on the Villa threat waned.

Brentford's Spanish winger Jota was at the heart of much of the hosts' superb football, and might have scored just minutes before the break when he lashed a rising drive against the crossbar after a powerful diagonal run that cut out three visiting defenders.

Villa could have got their noses in front in the first 20 minutes, Jonathan Kodjia racing clear of the Bees' high line only to slide his low effort past the far post.

Bjarnason tested Brentford goalkeeper Dan Bentley with a dipping drive as Bees skipper Harlee Dean headed wide from a corner at the other end.

Villa really should have had something to show for those clear-cut chances in the opening 20 minutes, but once again Andre Green headed a gilt-edged chance wide from Albert Adomah's precision cross.

Brentford, who unveiled their new B#2.5million signing Sergi Canos before the game, grew in confidence as the first half wore on and once they scored the result was never really in doubt.

After the break it was all Brentford as Villa seemed devoid of any fight or desire.

The Londoners' new signing Florian Jozefzoon from PSV Eindhoven teased the visitors' back four with his pace and played in Vibe on the hour mark, but the Dane toe-poked the first-time effort wide.

McEachran and Yennaris pulled the strings from the heart of midfield with Ryan Woods the engine room, repeatedly passing balls through Villa's static midfield which left the centre-back pairing of James Chester and Nathan Baker exposed.

Woods curled a free kick past the angle on 74 minutes as the Bees went for the jugular before Johnstone denied Vibe his hat-trick with a suberb save low to his left.

Jota almost put the icing on the cake in injury time when Vibe unselfishly left Josh Clarke's cross, only to side-foot his first-time effort past the upright.